The Olympique de Marseille is stepping up its efforts to strengthen its field environment, a strategic position prioritized by coach Roberto De Zerbi. The club contacted Benfica to try to agree on a loan from Florentino Luis, a 26-year-old defensive environment known for its defensive strength and its ability to recover balloons. OM has offered a loan with option of purchase, but negotiations are under way without final agreement. At the same time, Pablo Longoria and Mehdhi Benatia targeted Dani Ceballo, a Real Madrid player, but the Spanish club is claiming an allowance of 15 million euros, considered too high by the Marseille management. De Zerbi wants an environment capable of breaking the lines and protecting the defense, a role that Florentino Luis could assume perfectly.

In parallel to these operations, the Adrien Rabiot case continues to generate tensions within the club. After an altercation with Jonathan Rowe, Rabiot was placed on the transfer list before finally being reinstated by De Zerbi. However, Christophe Dugarry, former Blue player, was critical of OM’s management of this situation, denouncing a lack of transparency and opaque communication. He believes that the club voluntarily maintains a shadow zone around the case, fueling rumours and the current crisis. Dugarry called the management of OM “circus” and expressed concern about apparent amateurism in the management of this case.

With less than a week before the end of the mercato, several names are mentioned to strengthen the Marseille team, including Ordóñez, Palmieri, Traoré, Zhegrova and Ceballo. OM, ambitious for this season, seeks to recruit players capable of meeting De Zerbi’s tactical requirements and offering him more variety in his game system. The situation of Florentino Luis could evolve rapidly in the coming days, and the Marseille club is determined to hit hard to offer its coach a competitive workforce. The Rabiot case, for its part, continues to weigh on the club and fuel criticism of its management.